The coach of the Dallas Stars NHL team had high praise Tuesday for Kelowna and its junior hockey franchise on a team stopover in the city.
The Stars are in Kelowna for a couple days on their way to Winnipeg after playing the Canucks in Vancouver Monday night.
The team practiced Tuesday at Prospera Place at a session that was not open to the public.
“It’s very vibrant,” said Dallas head coach Ken Hitchcock of Kelowna. It is a big city. You’ve got probably one of the best rinks in the (WHL) league. One of the best franchises in the league. And the whole city itself feels like a major league city to be honest with you.”
Stars captain, Jamie Benn, played with the Kelowna Rockets from 2007 to 2009 when he made the jump to the NHL.
And a former goalie with the Westside Warriors got a surprise phone call to take part at the Dallas practice.
Tyler Briggs, 25, was asked to help out between the posts when one of the Stars regular goalies opted out of the optional practice.
Hitchcock called Briggs a good goalie and really competitive. “He’s got quicker feet than our guys. First warm-up drill he’s got a breakaway and then a point shot with traffic. That’s a tough way to break into the National Hockey League but he jumped in real well,” said Hitchcock. “He was excited and we were really excited and happy for him.”